Bio
I started my Steepster loose leaf adventure back in 2012. I can’t say I’m completely new anymore, but I still view oolong as a magical, extraterrestrial creature that unfurls in water.
Favourite Flavours/Ingredients:
-Vanilla, Maple, Caramel, Cream, Toffee, Nougat, Marzipan
-All Citrus: Lime, Grapefruit, Lemon, Bergamot, Orange, Yuzu
-Anise, but not licorice
-Ginger or Clove-forward chai
-Rosemary
-Grass/Marine/Vegetal/Nutty Green teas
-Florals: Rose, Lavender, Jasmine…
-Musky and/or Woody Incense-like stuff: Sandalwood, Frankincense, Eucalyptus
-Berries: Blackberry, Raspberry, Currants, Blueberry, Elderberry
-Bananas, and most fruits actually.
Less Preferred Flavours/Ingredients:
-Stevia and most sweetners
-Cinnamon-forward chai/blends
-Apple & Cranberries
-Mango pieces (love mango outside of tea though)
-Coconut pieces (as a sub/filler ingredient)
-Metallic or overly artificial teas
-Cocoa Nibs, 95% of the time.
Subjective Rating System 3.0:
90-100: My absolute favourite tea. I’ll impulsively buy in large quantities and hoard like a dragon.
85-89: A favourite tea. I’ll try to keep this one around when it’s practical.
76-84: A good tea, but not one I’m likely to order again.
70-75: Alright, but I may have a few problems with quality, consistency, ingredient chemistry and/or personal preferences.
50-69: Average to mediocre cup.
11-49: Varying levels of undrinkable tea. I don’t give a lot of these ratings out, since I tend to grab tea I know will appeal to me.
1-10: Nightmare tea from the chaos realms. This tea is the embodiment of the primordial swamp, the unholy abomination that is a chimera. It’s very gross and I’m almost positive it doesn’t exist.
Location
BC, Canada
I hate all things licorice, so when it comes to stomach distress for me, I go for a heavy hit of ginger.
I prefer ginger too. This had a little ginger but the more dominant ingredients were licorice root and fennel.